Especially in bows of higher draw strength, drawing the string of the bow produces torque in the bow risers with a resulting tendency for the bow grip to twist in the hand of the archer. When the arrow is released the sudden release of the torque on the bow forces the grip to twist in the opposite direction causing deflection of the arrow path or oscillation of the arrow, both of which affect the accuracy of the shot. Although thicker grip sections are desirable from the comfort standpoint, such thicker sections act to increase hand contact and amplify the adverse consequences of torque on the bow grip. To eliminate the results of this amplified torque problem, the conventional wisdom has been to make the grip section of the riser narrow and thin, thus reducing the degree of hand contact with the bow. While this solution may reduce the effects of bow torque, thin grips are uncomfortable and more difficult to grasp securely and consistently. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a thicker and more comfortable archery bow handle, but at the same time reduce the adverse effects of torque on the bow by eliminating any twisting or rotation of the handle in the archer's hand. This eliminates accuracy problems created by inconsistent grips and gloved hands.
The problem created by bow torque has been recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 6,988,495 for Bow Grip Assembly. This patent disclosure represents one effort to solve the problem. The '495 patent provides a pivotal handgrip that is mounted to the bow by an intermediate device that is snap fitted onto the bow over a bearing assembly that is attached to the bow riser. While the bow grip of the '495 patent achieves its stated objectives, the needle bearings that are a basic element of the bearing assembly can not tolerate the forces created in high draw strength bows.
Accordingly, it is further object of the present invention to provide a handle for an archery bow that is pivotal with respect to the bow grip and relies exclusively on high strength ball bearings to support the pivotal function between the bow grip and the handle in high draw strength bows.